MTLNOVEL Chapter 817: Return
Unlike four years ago, this time he was accompanied by a vast fleet, comprising a total of 6,300 warships of various models from the Forest Rui Fang Group, the Light King Sect, and the Light God Sect, with 2,300 armed merchant ships encircling his flagship, the Radiant.
This time he did not bring ships from vassals or allied forces, but with the addition from the 40 moving Radiant Holy Altars and the blessing of twelve million Priests' sacred light power, the fleet's momentum appeared even more grand and immense, like a vast platinum iron ocean that seemed to crush and shatter the space wherever it went.
Lin Rui stood on the bridge of the Radiant, hands behind his back, gazing at the enormous mechanical construct floating above the sea, which was shaped a bit like a Rubik's Cube and measured 1,000 kilometers in both length and width.
The Mechanical God Temple may have received news in advance, as it was standing guard near this so-called 'God of All Machines.'
They arranged hundreds of enormous floating mechanism fortresses in a defensive array, like iron star rings suspended in the sky.
The dark golden runes on the surfaces of these fortresses flowed with etheric spiritual power, forming massive hive-like defensive force fields.
In the cloud sky, seven hundred mysterious iron ships shaped like giant whales were neatly lined up.
More warships were coming from the distant Divine Pivot Island, equipped with Rune Annihilation Cannons and anti-matter energy furnaces, intertwining with the photon engines at the back of the ships. As these ships moved, they drew trails of molten gold beneath the clouds.
Around them were countless small floating weapon platforms, moving swiftly and maneuvering flexibly within the defensive array.
Beneath the sea lurked the mechanism Xuanwu beast swarms, and on the horizon stood the twenty-four majestic 'Heaven's Law Divine Machine' cannons, awe-inspiring.
Although the Mechanical God Temple primarily focused on dormancy during the eight hundred years of contact between the Earth Federation and Sky Extreme Star, they were by no means inactive.
The upper echelons of the Mechanical God Temple were dominated by conservative forces, but they were pressured by circumstances and the grassroots people longing for change. Meanwhile, many enlightened reformists, like Wang Yinyue and Li Guchan, eager to absorb Earth Federation's technology, made many technological innovations within the Mechanical God Temple.
The ships named 'Giant Whale Class' rune warships and the 'Heaven's Law Divine Machine' cannons are the results of the Mechanical God Temple's research over the past few centuries. Especially the latter, which even piqued the interest of the Federation Science Academy. Forty years ago, they specifically had the Security Bureau obtain the entire blueprint set.
Lin Rui also saw the current Great Celestial Master of the Mechanical God Temple, standing towering like a pine tree, his silver hair bristling like steel needles, hovering above the mechanical cube with hawk-like sharp eyes piercing through the clouds, gazing towards Lin Rui's Radiant.
The elder appeared calm and composed, but the slender hand gripping the mysterious iron scepter was tense with protruding veins.
Lin Rui saw in this person the obduracy akin to meteoric iron and the resolute decisiveness of facing death.
However, based on the information Lin Rui currently possessed, few in the Mechanical God Temple held such a death-wish resolve as this Great Celestial Master.
The defense of the Mechanical God Temple seemed unbreakable. Combined with their self-developed Concept Macro Force Field technology, as long as the Mechanical God Temple united internally, even against the divine, they could resist for a moment.
But the reality was that Lin Rui, having just arrived, already received numerous defection signals from all channels within the Mechanical God Temple.
Interestingly, these people included not only all the enlightened factions but also many prominent conservatives from the Mechanical God Temple.
Entire sections of the fleet could even be seen discreetly aiming their ship cannons at the Great Celestial Master of the Mechanical God Temple.
Lin Rui had long anticipated this scenario. It was also due to the internal disarray of the Mechanical God Temple four years ago that Lin Rui was able to rescue tens of thousands of prisoners from the Heresy Prison.
"Kong Shao from the Divine Department asked me to convey to you that neither he nor his faction will obstruct His Highness. They even hope to witness the birth of the true 'God of All Machines' and ask that you feel free to instruct them however you need their cooperation."
Wang Yinyue looked at the old man above the huge cube, her eyes deep and inscrutable: "This Divine Department actually never counted on opposing the divine with their strength from the start. He's probably received promises from other Abysses, only wanting to delay time, relying on the power of All Gods to restrain the divine."
Her mood was a complex mix of emotions as she spoke.
Back then, it was this old man who branded her as heresy and betrayed her alien form to the Longevity Association.
Wang Yinyue once harbored intense hatred towards this elder, wishing to devour his flesh and blood.
But today, as Wang Yinyue watched the elder, abandoned by friends and family, stubbornly standing alone atop the cube, she felt only pity and a tinge of sourness.
These stubborn conservatives who nailed her on the trial stage were merely the final mourners of the so-called 'God of All Machines,' the last lament of the Mechanical God Temple's rusty gears.
"They are nothing but unyielding dregs."
Tan Shenzi held deep contempt for the current Great Celestial Master of the Mechanical God Temple, while also lamenting his misfortune.
If he had been part of this era, being in charge of the current Mechanical God Temple, this ancient sect with tens of thousands of years of tradition would never have been in its current sorry state.
He was confident that with his own wisdom and strength, he could achieve the Abyss.
Tan Shenzi gave a slight cold sneer, then looked at Lin Rui with an expectant gaze: "Your Highness?"
He was already impatient to replace the so-called 'God of All Machines,' but in front of this Master of Light, he still tried to suppress the volcanic ambition and desire within his heart.